Press Release Terms

The following EON: Enhanced Online News glossary will help explain some of the key terms used to explain the language used in assembling effective web-friendly press releases.

Hyperlink

Most commonly noted by a blue, underlined font, a hyperlink enables online readers to click on words or images in your press release and be directed to other web pages. Hyperlinked words are given a bit more weight by search engines, helping them "see" what's most important in your press release. To be effective, hyperlinks should also link to specific content pages that will meet reader expectations — even if those pages live outside your own site.

Keywords

The words and phrases that web surfers might use to find information about your organization's products or services. In the context of press releases, you'll want to identify and reinforce these keywords so your press release will have the best chance of being displayed by search engines when a search engine query is run.

Keyword Analysis

The process of analyzing which keywords are most likely to deliver the results you seek. The EON: Enhanced Online News optimization tool helps you discover which keywords and keyword phrases web surfers are using. The tool also suggests where and how often to use them in your press release. This process is called press release optimization or press release search engine optimization (SEO).

Keyword Density

The process of analyzing how often your chosen keywords are used in your press release. Best results occur when keywords account for 1.5 to 8% of the press release text. The EON: Enhanced Online News text optimization tool does the math for you and suggests the optimal keyword density for achieving the best results for your press release.

Long Tail

A concept born out of a 2004 Wired magazine article written by Chris Anderson, The Long Tail  captures the impact and value an online press release can accrue over time, simply by being found, seen, and shared by web surfers. For example, you may get 2,000 hits on your press release on the first day; but over the next 100 days, you might get 20 hits a day. The latter demonstrates the Long Tail and suggests the power a press release can have over time.

Multimedia

Refers to photos, videos, audio files, Flash animation and graphics. Using multimedia to supplement your press release makes it more attractive to both search engines and to readers. Adding multimedia increases your press releases' chances of being found, seen, and shared.

Press Release

An announcement from your company or organization to be read by reporters, consumers and others. A press release usually announces news of some sort: a product announcement, a new hire, a promotional event, etc. Readers might use your press release as the basis for a news story, a buying decision or simply to learn about your company or organization. Also called a "news release."

Press Release Builder (PRB)

If you're new to writing press releases, or need some help in making them work, EON: Enhanced Online News provides an easy-to-use Press Release Builder that walks you through the process of crafting a web-friendly press release.

Press Release Optimization

Using technology and text tools to increase your press release's chances of being ranked highly by search engines as well as being found, seen, and shared by readers online.

RSS

Really Simple Syndication. A web feed that allows online content providers to quickly and easily send content to Internet users on a subscription basis. By using an RSS reader, a subscriber can be fed content from various sources and view that content in one convenient place.

SEM

Search Engine Marketing. A form of online marketing as well as an industry that uses web pages, press releases, search engines and other online tools to sell products, services and points of view. For more information, check out the Search Engine Marketing Professional Association .

SEO

Search Engine Optimization. Refers to the strategic use of HTML tagging and coding, formatting, text placement and multimedia to make your press release more likely to be found by search engines.

SERP

Search Engine Results Page. The list of results that appear after you type keywords into a search engine query box. Each search engine uses its own method of ranking pages and determining results. Organic or natural SERPS, where press releases appear, show up on the left side of the page and are viewed and clicked on most frequently. Paid or sponsored SERPS appear on the right side or top of the page and are part of pay-per-click (CPC) or pay-per-impression (CPM) campaigns managed by search engine marketers.

Tags

Think of your press release as a document inside a folder. The folder is tucked inside a mammoth filing cabinet that we'll call the Internet. How are people supposed to find your press release? That's where tags come in. Tags are the "labels" on the folders holding the documents. They're the words you choose to describe the content that is contained within your press release. They help web surfers find and share your press releases online. A tag cloud lists the most popular and frequently-used tags on a website and illustrates their weighted popularity. The larger the type font for the tag, the more content on that website labeled with that particular tag.

Target Categories

Pre-defined release-specific values that are used for categorization on the EON: Enhanced Online News site and in RSS feeds. Accurate target categories help your press release to reach its intended audience for industry, subject, and geography.

XHTML

eXtended HyperText Markup Language. Also known as rich text or robust text formatting, XHTML enables attractive text formatting like boldface, italics, underlining and special characters like the ™ symbol as press releases move onto other online platforms. XHTML allows EON: Enhanced Online News to maintain the attractive look of your press release, making it more likely to be found, seen, and shared.